No Wave Backs

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, look at it from a different perspective; Especially if you live in the big city. On the freeway they used to say, "keep one car's distance for every ten miles per hour" but if you try to do that here you will find that you will never have more than one car's space between you at any speed. So you need to pay more attention to your driving and less socializing on the road. Also it used to be common to flash your lights as a courtesy to let fellow drivers know that they forgot to turn their lights on at night; Now that is a signal for gang bangers, who purposely drive with their lights out at night, to follow you and shoot at you or your car. [people have been killed for flashing their lights]
I don't belong to the WBCCI so you won't see the big red numbers on my trailer. I do have "AIR Forums" decals on my tow vehicle and on my trailer, but they are both on the rear windows so you won't see them as you pass me from the other direction. I noticed when at Forum Rallies, as hard as it may seem, not all Airstreamers have Hensley Arrow hitches, 3/4 ton Diesels, big red numbers, front bed CCDs, disc brakes, or even "AIR FORUMS" decals on their vehicles. Although rare, we met a few unfriendly, Airstreamers at forum rallies.
It does seem to me, that the farther away from home [and the crowded city] we get, the friendlier people are.

[ROBERT CROSS]

For those interested.....








Party Flamingo 3-D Windsock: Just For Fun Flags & Windsocks

[ckeysor]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

Bikers have always waved, but it's more like a secret masonic sign. Kind of cooly taking your roadside hand off the bars and extending it laterally a few inches. You never see a biker waving his whole arm in broad arcs. Then again you never see a biker playing guitar on his bike. Arlo Guthrie offered the explanation that the box side of the guitar has more wind resistance than the neck side.

Although, I am sure you are talking about motorcycles versus cyclists, but cyclists share the same tradition. You can always tell a good rider (typically racer) because they generally wave. Funny story... I was reading an interview with a pro rider in california who said he always waved and part of his training program was if someone didn't wave back he would turn around and chase them down. Could you imagine getting chased down by a pro and getting asked why you were too good to not wave back?

The chasing idea is probably not practical with an airstream.

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

.........It does seem to me, that the farther away from home [and the crowded city] we get, the friendlier people are.

I would think about moving

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

I would think about moving

True. Corpus Christi is friendlier than Dallas, we're happy to have moved. Which in turn is friendlier than New York. Etc. Any two-laner highway in Texas -- west of Interstate 35 -- is likely to have folks wave to one another. Or, friendly-questions about ones rig at the fuel station in any part of the state.

And, yes, funny as it is, I, too , have had Airstream owners decline to wave back 1/3 of the way into doing so; funny, since A/S is the ubiquitous common-as-a-Chevrolet aluminum trailer. Guess they found me condescending, huh?

[The Flintstones]

Originally Posted by REDNAX

True. Corpus Christi is friendlier than Dallas, we're happy to have moved. Which in turn is friendlier than New York. Etc. Any two-laner highway in Texas -- west of Interstate 35 -- is likely to have folks wave to one another. Or, friendly-questions about ones rig at the fuel station in any part of the state.

We have a lot on Lake Livingston outside of Trinity, Texas and everyone pretty much waves at each other there and most everyone is friendly. I've heard folks up there say that you need to get out of Houston to meet "real" people.
The Flints

[Skater]

I admit I've missed some wave-backs. But you have to realize: I'm on the road alone, driving a camper, towing a car, and I'm paying attention to traffic on my side of the highway; the opposite side of the highway is simply not a priority, and I don't have a passenger to go "Hey! Airstream!" It's nothing personal if I don't see you until too late to wave.

I will chat with you in the campground though. PLEASE stop by!

[reggiemon]

Bringing ours back home from Calif over the Thanksgiving holidays, we saw only a couple of AS. On the freeway I usually am concentrating on driving & dont see oncoming drivers in time to wave back. But we had one very courious grey TV run thru a rest stop twice to see what we had and a red TV going the same direction in San Antonio that pulled beside us and waved with us waving back. Giving a nod & wave is normal in South Texas.
At a rest stop w/Texas welcome station, entering Texas from NM, I had a State Trooper come out to his vehicle next to ours and give us a "Nice rig" complement. I found it interesting that he said anything.
Of course my wife claims she kept seeing people pointing & looking when they passed us the whole 1500 miles home. Seems she was expecting a "dinky twinkie" and wasn't quite prepared for how big our Globester really is.

[ArtStream]

I used to flash other Airstreams when I was younger, but I'm older now and nobody really wants to see an old guy flashing. Come to think of it, back then I'd flash anything, or did they call it streaking, no maybe it was mooning

I do remember it was a pain getting the cheek marks cleaned off the inside of the windshield.

insert a "FLASH" here (--------)

Michael

[Mikethefixit]

BOB
I can't believe U met some UNFRIENDLYS at at a Forums Rally. Defineatly not the case from what we found this yrs it was just the opposite. Except for the guy from TEXAS Next to us at EastHarbor State Park (OHIO) wiff his $250 k motorhome wiff the duel self positioning Dish receivers and at least two big flat screens. I don't think he like himself even. Maybe he didnt like our dogs or sumpin. I did shower everyday so Hope it wasn't that.Everyone else there was friendly wheather they were wiff our group or not. Wheather they had a SOB or not.
Come on up We Will Show ya Friendly
Roger

[Mike Leary]

We saw a 345 booking east on I-10 in New Mexico the other day; we ALL waved!

[Fyrzowt]

I usually wave and/or flash my lights when I see a fellow Airstreamer, and probably have about a 50% response. I'm sure many just don't pay attention to the other side of the highway. There have been times when I'll miss an A/S going the other way because I was looking the other way and then see them in the mirror. They probably cuss me as being unfreindly...

[The Flintstones]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Also it used to be common to flash your lights as a courtesy to let fellow drivers know that they forgot to turn their lights on at night; Now that is a signal for gang bangers, who purposely drive with their lights out at night, to follow you and shoot at you or your car. [people have been killed for flashing their lights]

This is an urban legend
snopes.com: Flash Headlights Gang Initiation

I don't have a any problem scanning the highway or sides of the road when towing, I think part of driving or towing is to scan your surroundings every so often. Just don't look for more than a couple of seconds.
But I'm not towing a 31 footer either.
James

[pmclemore]

I always flash and wave when I see airstreams and argosys. Heck, I even wave at other brands as well - I'm just glad to be on the road and seeing other campers. I do not try to see if they wave back, however, as it is usually hard to tell. So I just continue on, as certain that they waved back as I can be.

Pat

[nunya001]

I am usually alone and often have to pay attention to the driving, so I will miss a few for safety reasons.

[boondockdad]

I don't take the 'no wave', 'no flash' personal- I'm sure I've missed many while concentrating on the road.

I do get a lot of birds, though... go figure
It's not driver etiquette, either. I know the law, as well as courtesies not necessarily in print, and abide by them when I'm pulling the 'Stream.
(the 'burb unhitched, or 'unleashed' if you will, may be a different story)

I'm just so psyched to be out of a cubicle, camping with the family, I wave at everybody else RV'ing... get some real confused looks...

[Mackhopp]

I think we've only seen a handful of other Airstreams in the past few years. I guess we see some so infrequently that it's a pretty exciting moment.

I ride a Ninja motorcycle and it's been interesting w/r to the wave. Not a single Harley rider will wave to me. I've waved with not even a head turn or acknowledgment of my existence. I was riding through the city one day and ended up riding beside a Harley rider. When we'd come to stop signs or traffic lights, he'd pull up beside me each and every time and completely ignore me.

Maybe other street bike riders are jerks and have ruined it for the nice ones, who knows.

[rock60]

the most unfriendly people i run across is the ones driveing high end motorhomes.

[pmclemore]

Heck, we Southerners wave at everybody.

Pat

[cameront120]

Originally Posted by Macfrodge

I think we've only seen a handful of other Airstreams in the past few years. I guess we see some so infrequently that it's a pretty exciting moment.

I ride a Ninja motorcycle and it's been interesting w/r to the wave. Not a single Harley rider will wave to me. I've waved with not even a head turn or acknowledgment of my existence. I was riding through the city one day and ended up riding beside a Harley rider. When we'd come to stop signs or traffic lights, he'd pull up beside me each and every time and completely ignore me.

Maybe other street bike riders are jerks and have ruined it for the nice ones, who knows.

Sadly, it has become about brand. When I first started riding, everyone waved, regardless of the brand of bike. The only ones who didn't were the 1%ers. Nowadays, it seems only crotch-rocket riders wave to fellow crotch-rocket riders, Harley riders only wave to each other and so on. My theory is the ones who wave are the ones who are the genuine motorcyclists, not the weekend warriors. They are the ones who ride for the love of the simple joys of motorcycling and don't get caught up in the superficiality that many get lured by. Chances are, the ones who wave are the ones you'd want to sit down and have a beer with.